Clarence wain wright wood



Aug. 25, 1925. r 1,551,450

C. W. WOOD ACCELERATOR PEDAL Filed Jan. 7. 1925 W' I v INVENTOR- Clarence W- Wood ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED "STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

CLARENCE WAINWRIGHT WO'OD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ACCELERATOR PEDAL.

Application filed January 7, 1925. Seria1.;No. 968.

quently controlled by pedals called accelerators, against which the sole of an operators shoe is pressed. A sliding action occurs between 'the shoe sho-le and the accelerator with consequent wear on the shoe sole, as Well as more or less uneven action of the foot pressure on the accelerator resulting in more' or less uneven operation of the throttle.

' An object of my invention isto provide the accelerator pedal with a member movably attached thereto, and preferably 'slidable relatively to .the accelerator, upon which member the operators shoe sole will operate whereby when pressure is applied to said member it will remain in contact with the shoe sole and will move or slide relatively to the accelerator while'operating the latter to afford smooth movement oft-he. accelerator, and reduce wear on the shoe sole and fatigue of the operator- Another object is to said memberupon the accelerator to have rocking movement thereon in the direction of the length of the operators foot, a further object being to 'movably mount said member on the accelerator to have rotary movement relatively to the accelerator, whereby operation of. the accelerator will be more comfortable and strain on the operators muscles willbe relieved.

My invention comprises novel details of improvement that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, wherein p Fig.1 is a detail sectional view illustrating my improvement in connection-with an accelerator pedal;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improvement, part of the movable member being omitted;

' pivotally support Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section substa tially on line 3, 3, in Fig. 2; r

Fig. 4 is a cross section substantially on line 4:, 4, in Fig. 3; I

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5, 5, inFig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section on line 6, 6, in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 illustrates a modification.

Similar numerals of reference indicate.

corresponding parts in the several views.

The accelerator pedal 1 may be' of any usual or desired construction. In Figs 1 to 6 the accelerator comprises a rod 2 slidable longitudinally in a tubular guide 3 having a flange or head 4 that may be suitably secured'to the foot-board 5, ofa motor car or automobile, with the .guide3rproject-ing downwardly through said board. The rod 2 may be normally pressed out' wardly with a portion above the foot-board 5 by any suitable spring. I have shown a coiled spring. 6 within guide 3 bearing Y against a shoulder2 on rod2 and against a cap or hollow nut 7 secured to the outer end of the guide, the rod having a stop nut 8 at its lower end to engage the cap 7 to' limit the upward movement o-f rod 2. The rod 2 may be connected to a carbureter throttle arm 9 by any suitablemeans, such as by a rod 10 pivotally connected to a bellcrank lever 11, suitably supported and pivotally connected at 12 with the stop nut 8, whereby when the accelerator is depressed the throttle will be operated. The rod 2 may be kept from rotating in any suitable way, as by a flat side 2 on saidjrod cooperating with a correspondingly shaped side Wall 8 of guide 3 (Fig. 6). In Fig. 7 the accelerator is in the form of a [lever pivota-lly supported. at 13 upon a bracket 14 and pivotally connected at 12 by link 15 with lever 11 for operating the throttle. The foregoing parts are illustrative of throttle controlling means adapted for use I in connection with my improvements, although other such means may be used. My improvement comprises a. member16 slidably mounted upon the accelerator and adapted to be. actuated by the operators foot. A supporting and guiding plate or bar 17 supports the member 16 and is attached to the accelerator. In the example illustrated the member 16 is in box-like form, comprising a top plate 16*, side walls 16 and end walls 16 (Figs. 3 and 1), attached to a bottom plate 18 that is slidably fitted to the guide plate or bar 17. The longitudinal edges 18 of plate 18 are bent inwardly to cooperate with the corresponding beveled edges 17 of guide plate 17, whereby plate 18 is slidably guided on plate 17 (Fig. 1). The ends 18 of plate 18 extend outwardly (as by bending the metal of said plate), to extend along the end walls 16 of member 16, screws 19 detachably securing said parts together (Fig. lVithin the member 16 is a spring 20, shown attached at one end to. a lug. 21, bent from an end 18 the spring being attached at its other end to a projection. or pin 22 secured to guide plate 17 and extending through a longitudinal slot 23 in plate 18 (Figs. 2 and Spring 20 normally draws. plate 18 so that the inner end of slot 28 engages projection 22 to normally locate member 16 on guide plate 17, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 7. RIGHT- ber 16. may slide along plate 17 (to the right in Fig. 3.), until the outer end of slot 23 engages projection 22 to limit such sliding. By preference a foot piece. or pad 24:, of rubber or other non-slipping material, isv secured upon, the surface of member 1 6, to adhere to the operators shoe sole.

The guide plate 17 may be attached upon the accelerator in any suitable way. I have shown the guide. 17 provided with ears 25 spaced apart and receiving a pin 26 in holes in said ears, the pin being supported by the accelerator. By having the pin 26 extend transversely respecting the plane of the operators foot the member 16 may rock on the pin as a pivot in the plane of said foot, upon the accelerator, which will accommodate said member to the angular position of the foot in different positions of height of the accelerator, which will re lieve the operation and reduce fatigue of the operator. The ears 25 may be punched from the metal of plate 17 and bent down or may be separate pieces riveted or screwed to said plate;

I have illustrated a head 27 fitted between the cars 25, receiving the pivot pin 26, and attached to the accelerator by means of the threaded part 28 thereof (Fig. 1). I have also shown a plug 29 within a recess 27 in. head 27, which plug has a threaded reduced stem 29 passing through a hole in. the bottom of head 27 and attached to threaded part 28 (Fig. 4E). The plug 29 has a transverse passage 30 for pin 26 (Fig. 5), the ends of which passage are widened, whereby the pin may rock laterally in said passage. By the means described the head 27, cars 25, plate 17 and member 16 may have a limited lateral rotary motion relatively to the accelerator, serving toaccommodate the operators foot to the member 16 at various angles, so that the member 16, which will adhere to the operators shoe sole, may turn axially respecting the accelerator according to the position of the foot relatively thereto.

In the form shown in Fig. 7 the part 28 is attached to the pivoted accelerator, whereby the head 27 is carried by said accelerator with the member 16 slidably, rockably and pivotally attached thereto in manner described respecting the slidable accelerator rod 2.

In accordance with my invention the movable member 16 being mounted upon the accelerator and the operators foot being placed upon said member the accelerator may be operated by the foot pressure in the usual way for controlling the carburcter throttle valve. When the foot is pressed upon'member 16 the latter will; slide relatively to the accelerator in accordance with the downward movement of the foot and the accelerator will be depressed. of the operators shoe will remain in engagement with member 16 Without sliding thereon since the necessary relative movement between the member and the accelerator occurs between said member and the guide plate 17, whereby freedom of action of the accelerator is obtained, the shoe sole does not slide in contact with the accelerator, accuracy of operation of the throttle is increased, and wear on the shoe sole is avoided, and'ease with smoothness of driving afiorded.

The member 16-is relatively large beneath the operators foot and may be readily reached by the foot when shifting from the brake pedal to the accelerator member. The rocking motion of member 16 under the operators foot as well as the rotary action of member 16 respecting pin, 26 enables the foot to rest comfortably upon and be accommodated to the accelerator member in various positions of driving, and the operator obtains a firm seat for his foot on such member.

While I have illustrated a practical embodiment of my invention it will be understood that the same isnot limited to the details of construction set forth, as the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim is:

1. A device of the class described comprising an accelerator, and a member slidably carried thereon to be actuated by the foot of an operator, said member being slidable relatively to the accelerator in the direction of tilting movement of the foot in depressing the accelerator.

2. A device of the class described comprising anaccelerator, a member wholly. supported by the accelerator and guided The sole thereon to slide relatively thereto in the direction of tilting movement of a foot upon said member When depressing the accelerator,

and means pivotally supporting said memberon the accelerator.

3. A device of the class described comprising an accelerator, a guide platecarried by the accelerator, and a member slidably guided upon the guide plate, said member being slidable relatively to the accelerator in the direction of tilting movement of the foot in depressing the accelerator.

4. A device of the class described comprising an accelerator, a guide plate carried by the accelerator, a member slidably guided upon the guide p-late,a spring connected With said member, and stop means cooperative with said member, whereby the latter is resiliently retained in a normal position.

5. A device ofthe class described comprising an accelerator, a guide p-late,'a slid able member in box-like form, means slidably guiding said member upon said plate, a stop pin upon the plate, and a spring connecting the stop pin With the member,

said member having a slot receiving the pin,

prising an accelerator, a member rotatively 'mounted thereon to have lateral rotary g movement relatively to the accelerator, and

means to limit lateral rotation in opposite directions of said member relatively to the accelerator.

8. A device of the class described comprising a guide plate, a member slidably guided thereon, resilient meansretaining the member in a normal position, said guide plate having cars, a head pivotally attached to said ears, and means for attaching said head to the accelerator.

CLARENCE WAINWRIGHT WOOD. 

